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"Accidental Selling"

by ShayB
12 replies
I can't take credit for the title because I heard the term a long time ago. I just thought that it really does fit.

How many businesses do you visit every day? Every week? Every month?

I have a report that I hand out to all of the businesses that I meet with on a regular basis. This includes restaurants, dry cleaner, etc. I have a box of these reports in my car. They are in a report cover (kind of like the ones used for book reports in school, but they're a little more professional) that cost me about a dollar a piece.

The report used to be called "Eight Ways to Get More Customers." I have since changed the title. It is now called, "Crush Your Competition - How Your Business Can Thrive, Even in a Rough Economy." (The second title is getting a higher callback rate.)

In the report I give eight ways for businesses to use various Internet marketing techniques and social media in order to get more customers. I don't give any kind of a sales pitch with it. I simply give a big smile and hand it to the manager or owner of the business (and I know who that is because it is a business that I go to on a regular basis) and tell them that I thought they might like to have it.

I often have people call me back, but if I don't hear from them I simply follow up the next time I normally go to the business.

If you wanted to do something like this, my suggestion would be to make a list of five or more services that you offer and make a guide for business owners with your contact information in the back and start handing out these guides businesses that you normally visit.

Just another way to get some irons in the fire.

edited to add: The term "accidental selling" refers to sales that you don't purposely set out to make, but that happen as a natural course of your daily activities.
#accidental selling #leads #offline marketing #sales #warm market
  • Profile picture of the author WebPen
    That's a great idea Shay,

    Like you said, every day we interact with businesses. A report would be a great way to get attention.

    I'm also wondering if t-shirts for your company could get some attention. Wear them around every day, and have bold text on the back that will get small biz owners' attention!
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Originally Posted by AYoungMillionaire View Post

      That's a great idea Shay,

      Like you said, every day we interact with businesses. A report would be a great way to get attention.

      I'm also wondering if t-shirts for your company could get some attention. Wear them around every day, and have bold text on the back that will get small biz owners' attention!
      Anything that you do to get your name out there is a good thing.

      You also never know when you're going to meet other business owners. You always need to be prepared.

      Case in point: I was out at 2 AM at a waffle House recently (long story, don't ask). In walks a guy that remodels houses. He was wearing his company shirt, and he happened to be the owner.

      I struck up a conversation and I ended up giving him one of the reports. He looked it over while he was eating and I got his business card so that I can follow-up.

      Is it going to lead to a sale? I have no idea. But what I do know is that if I would have not been prepared, there is no way that I would have a chance at a sale.

      Being prepared in showing up is half the battle.
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      "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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  • Profile picture of the author danielkanuck
    I've experienced a few times in my business where "accidental selling" was the only way that i was going to get the sale. As of right now, i follow a daily marketing routine, but there are still times where i get the sale and i have no idea how it happened. But i think it all boils down to the principle of being prepared like ShayRockhold said. Great post.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Originally Posted by danielkanuck View Post

      I've experienced a few times in my business where "accidental selling" was the only way that i was going to get the sale. As of right now, i follow a daily marketing routine, but there are still times where i get the sale and i have no idea how it happened. But i think it all boils down to the principle of being prepared like Shay Rockhold said. Great post.
      You always need to be doing a variety of marketing methods (Reaching Out Methods).

      The great part about working your warm market like this is that you incorporate it in your daily routine. It doesn't take any additional effort, just preparation.

      And you are very correct - there are some business owners that you will only be able to approach if you are in their warm market.

      Business owners are bombarded with offers from people. If you are already somebody that they know, like, and trust, that will give you a huge advantage right off the bat.
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    • Profile picture of the author laurie390
      This is good advice. I tend to keep my business restricted to online, but I think it could help to start exploring the offline world as well.

      Thanks for sharing!
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      Laurie Neumann
      Huge PLR Closeout Sale at Quality Internet Marketing PLR

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      • Profile picture of the author ShayB
        Originally Posted by laurie390 View Post

        This is good advice. I tend to keep my business restricted to online, but I think it could help to start exploring the offline world as well.

        Thanks for sharing!
        You have a warm market online, too.

        If you spend a great deal of time online, there are certain forums that you probably frequent more often than others. That would be your warm market.

        Or you may belong to an online group of some sort (Yahoo Groups, Google Groups, etc.). That is also your online warm market.

        If you think about it, it's kind of like the show "Cheers" - you have places where everybody knows your name. That is your warm market.
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        "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruce NewMedia
    Thats a great expression, and it happens all the time, maybe not always literally 'by accident".

    I am always asking businesses I frequent, questions that elicit information designed to let me talk about what I do. paying attention to people, and being genuinely interested in them and their livelihood is an unintended form of marketing.

    I've lost count of all the deals I've gotten over even the last few years, from 'accidental selling'....in fact, sometimes I think I do most things by accident :-)
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    Bruce
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    • Profile picture of the author mrcouchpotato
      I agree. I recently had lunch at a Chinese restaurant and while I was being sat, I asked the hostess seating me who the owner was. Sure enough, she was the owner.

      I then told her about how I have a promotion and marketing business and eventually made an appointment with the manager. So there I was, simply going to have lunch and got an appointment....for tomorrow.

      Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author roypreece
    A vital component of 'accidental selling' is your 'elevator speech'

    You're standing in a queue at a business function and the person next to you turns and asks: "What do you do?"

    How do you respond? You give them your 'Elevator' Speech.

    It got the name this way: Imagine that you are standing by the elevator on the top floor of a 30-story office building. The elevator arrives. You step in. Just as the doors are closing, another person jumps in beside you.

    "Hi!" they say, "What do you do?"

    You've now got until the elevator reaches the ground floor to tell them and (maybe) sell them.

    So the first step of any 'elevator speech' is to name the problem which you SOLVE BEST.

    Then create your script with two parts:

    1. Part one. ALWAYS begins "You know how ... (STATE THE PROBLEM)"
    Or
    "You know how ... (DESCRIBE THE PAIN)"

    2. Part two. "Well, I fix that." ("What I do is ... I solve that problem"
    or
    "You know, I cure that pain and make it go away FOREVER").

    To repeat: the TRUE elevator speech offers your SOLUTION to a PROBLEM.

    As we all agree in the modern sales field, booking an order revolves around solving problems for your client. If they don't have a problem which you can solve, then they don't need you -- do they?

    Elevator speech examples: For selling products:
    "You know how some people find that every time that they bend down, they get a shooting pain up their spine? Well, we have a pill which can cure this pain ..."

    For selling services: " You know how people suffer every year when the time comes to work out their taxes? Well, we take away that suffering by doing it for them ..."

    So someone who sold ad space in a magazine would say:

    "You know how most business owners today are desperate to find new customers, so that they can grow and prosper, expand the business and help more people -- instead of going bust ...?"
    The Other Guy: "Yes"
    You: "Well, I help businesses find new customers -- and make more new sales, and more profits than they ever have before."
    The Other Guy: "Oh!".

    Then one of two things happens. If The Other Guy is a business person who also needs some new customers he'll say: "Wow! Could you find some for me?"

    Or

    If The Other Guy is a school teacher or fire inspector or a business person who DOESN'T want any new customers, they'll say: "How interesting."

    Then they'll walk away.

    Why is this so powerful?

    It's powerful because you have just Cold Called the other guy.

    You've checked him out -- but without asking him for business. You have laid out what you do and invited him to respond. He can do so or not, without pressure.

    The elevator speech can be used anywhere, but it has to be prepared in advance. Like keeping reports in Shays car ...
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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    Originally Posted by ShayRockhold View Post

    The reports used to be called "Eight Ways to Get More Customers." I have since changed the title. It is now called, "Crush Your Competition - How Your Business Can Thrive, Even in a Rough Economy." (The second title is getting a higher callback rate.)

    I have no doubt that the second version is getting a higher rate of response...

    That is an awesome title that really reaches out and touches your prospects at the core of their soul.

    As someone with a lot of experience creating article titles that get opened, I was definitely impressed at how you took a bland title and changed it into something that literally jumped off the page at the reader.
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Originally Posted by tpw View Post

      I have no doubt that the second version is getting a higher rate of response...

      That is an awesome title that really reaches out and touches your prospects at the core of their soul.

      As someone with a lot of experience creating article titles that get opened, I was definitely impressed at how you took a bland title and changed it into something that literally jumped off the page at the reader.
      Thank you.

      It's really funny to see the look on the owner's/manager's face when he/she gets the report now. Their eyes get wide and the look is just priceless.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bennette
        One thing I say when I'm networking and they say what do you do?

        My reply is.. do have someone that you added as a Facebook friend and you sent them a message and they never respond? I help people learn what to say and how to use Facebook.

        I've actually had people say, oops that's me. Then they say how much would you charge me to teach me Facebook? I get their card and say I call you and set up at time so we can chat more about what you're trying to do.
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